When it comes to marketing using social media platforms, many businesses owners tend to have a strong grip on how to handle Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn, but at the same time they overlook the potential of the hottest and fastest growing social networking site “Instagram." According to Instagram official press page, there are 100 million monthly active users, 40 million photos per day, 8500 likes per second, and 1000 comments per second. Doesn't this sound an extensive marketing platform for your brand? Instagram, unlike any other social networking sites widely available now, is primarily a mobile application that was acquired by Facebook in 2012. This is an online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking site that enables users to upload, edit and share photos on various networking platform like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.

Get started with Instagram Create your business account on Instagram using your business name as the username or a name that is instantly recognized with your brand. Once you create your Instagram business account, complete your profile by adding a decent photo, a short informative biography and link that directs the user to your website. Once you complete your profile, it is always recommended to connect your account to your Facebook account which allows you to instantly share your "Instagram photos" to your "Facebook Fans." Effective ways to use Instagram for marketingUse "Hashtags" "Hashtags" are the major part of Instagram through which users can easily find your brand through their mobile Instagram search engines. Unlike other social networking sites, you are not limited by character count, but that doesn't mean that you add too many tags in your post to get connected. This will make you look too desperate. Always recommended to include unique tags when you plan a marketing campaign like “Instagram photo contest”. Also, ensure that you keep exploring for new and valuable hashtags and utilize the most popular hashtag if you spot any that fits your brand. This way your post could be seen by thousands of users in minutes. You customers will always use your tags to connect with you, hence ensure to frequently check your Instagram hashtags and respond to comments and concerns quickly. This way you build a strong relationship with your customers. Target your "existing customers" Appreciate your customers by sharing their cool photos with you “Facebook Fans”, or “Twitter Followers,” especially if they include your product, or follow your brand. Increase engagement targeting your "existing customers" by commenting on product related photos they post or even if they speak something negative about you brand. Post images with your customers in mind, in turn they may just share it with their “Followers.” This way you can spread you brand visibility quickly. Show off products with "quality content" and "personable videos" Be creative with your photos, posting them along with short videos(not more than 15 seconds) to show your company’s core values and brand. Also, post fun photos and "personable videos" of your employees(behind the scene look of you company o making of a product) that will make you company look cool. One of the most effective and easiest way for marketing is to partner with brands, and get them post your product photos and videos on their Instagram feed. "Enhance" your marketing strategy If you want to boost you brands visibility in the online world, then you need to increase customer engagement, let me tell how:

Ask your followers what they think of a new post you made, and more.

Use questions in you post to get your people talking about your business.

Post updates with a sentence followers can complete.

Perform "Photo Caption Contest," asking your followers to caption it, in turn entice them with a cool prize. This was you keep you followers engaged and share your post in their Instagram feed.

Perform "Instagram photo contest" When you perform “Instagram Photo Contest” ensure you make contest themes that have photos and videos focused to your business objectives. Also, ensure to focus on the prize of the contest, so as to get your customers entering, and sharing with their friends, too. Allow a voting panel in your Instagram contest for contestants, which in turn will infect the word about your contest across the networking platform that they use. Improve your ROI "posting at the right time" Every brand and products may not have the same best time to post updates on Instagram. Therefore, with the help of analytics tools you can easily monitor when your updates are getting more “likes” and "comments" on, when your "hashtags" are being used and even tack your “followers.” This way you can post your fresh updates at the most active times, in turn improves the bottom line of your business.